It was not clear what caused the hand grenade to explode, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) said in a statement late this Tuesday, adding that a board of inquiry including UN officials would investigate the incident that happened in Beni.

SA soldiers are in the DRC as part of the UN force called MONUSCO and a separate mission deployed by the Southern African Development Community to help the government fight rebel groups.

Including the latest death, at least seven SA soldiers have lost their lives in the DRC since February.

Two were killed in a mortar attack on an SANDF base in Sake in eastern DRC last month, one was killed in a battle with Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in May.

Another died after receiving treatment for unspecified health issues in April and two were killed in a mortar attack in February.

At the time of the February deaths SA President Cyril Ramaphosa hit back at opposition criticism that the troops in the DRC were ill-equipped.

The UN force is withdrawing from the DRC in stages. A first stage was completed last month, but no timeline has been set yet for the next phase amid an escalation in clashes in the restive east.

The UN peacekeeping mission in DRC will pause its withdrawal, the government and mission have said.

--Reuters--